Bullying and Sexual Minority Youth 101 Objectives

• Understand the key issues that impede safety in the learning environment for all students including sexual minority students and those perceived as such.

• Identify how safety issues impact both performance in school and personal development for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender young people

• Identify tools that can be used to influence student behaviors to reduce bullying, to counter prejudice and intervene with name calling

• Identify resources in the community and the most contemporary articles and materials to assist helping professionals in meeting those challenges

Bullying and Sexual Minority Youth 201 Objectives

• To ground previous learning, raise awareness and provide more information ab out the psycho-social impact of anti-LGBTQ bullying along with the parallel challenges of coming out, understanding gender expression and identity and the importance of safety for LGBTQ youth of varying identities

• To continue to provide practical tools and strategies of prevention, intervention and resources for helping professionals

• To meet and dialogue with a “Broward Community Panel of Resource Professionals” specific to LGBTQ needs for the purpose of becoming more aware of avenues of support and communication for students, staff, administrators and parents

• To listen and interact with a panel of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who will tell about their personal experiences and offer solutions for creating safer school communities for all youth, particularly LGBTQ youth

• To develop real time scenarios and learn skills to intervene in challenging situations and/or anti-gay harassment or bullying.

Bullying and Sexual Minority Youth 301 Objectives

• Gain more awareness about federal, state and Broward County School laws, policies and guidelines that protect and support the needs and resiliency of LGBTQ youth, and staff’s role in its implementation

• Develop real time scenarios, learn skills and practice roleplays, demonstrate intervening in challenging situations, anti-gay harassment and bullying from a “360” perspectives, including administrative, support staff and educator lenses of action

• Develop real time scenarios, learn skills and practice roleplays that demonstrate how and what to do to inform colleagues and stakeholders about laws, policy and procedures for LGBTQ youth support and safety

• Interact with a panel of LGBT youth who will tell their stories and share their perspectives via their personal lens about what adults can do to create safer school communities for LGBTQ youth, as well as youth of varying marginalized identities

• Identify resources in the community and the most contemporary articles and materials to assist helping professionals with ensuring LGBTQ youth safety, support and resiliency

The Office of Diversity, Cultural Outreach and Prevention offer customized staff development for entire school staffs and faculties, or professional development for district level or school-based departments. We also provide Diversity and Cultural Competency Training about awareness and understanding of adults and youth of varying cultures, identities and backgrounds. The Office also offers diversity training to youth through adult club or department coordinators.

Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) are student-led clubs with staff advisors in which students talk and learn about sexual orientation, gender identity and some of the issues that surround them. Everyone is welcome, including straight-identified students, students with LGBTQ families and students who don’t have a need or label for their sexual orientation or gender identity. GSAs play a vital role in making schools safer for LGBTQ students by providing supportive and accepting spaces. GSA Advisors are provided training by the Office of Diversity, Cultural Outreach and Prevention to assist them in helping students meet the mission, goals and action steps of their GSA school club.

Each elementary, middle and high school has a Prevention Liaison who is tasked with meeting safe climate guidelines for all youth and staff in Broward County Public Schools. Liaisons are also trained on diversity issues.

Ensuring LGBT Health and Safety is a state of the art online staff development training for Broward County Public School staff. The course aligns with Marzano and Common Core Standards, and embraces the principles of e-learning design, including adobe connect to allow direct discussion with the course facilitator. Look for this online professional staff development course to be offered in fall 2012.